The Escaping Words
by HannahWho
Summary: The Doctor and Rose find themselves trapped within one of Jane Austen's most famous novels. And things aren't going exactly as...written.
1. The Arrival

"Miss Austen, are you sure that you require no assistance? Really, you look quite faint."

"No indeed, Betsy. I shall retire early and all will be well by the morning. Rest is all the assistance my tired mind requires," the young woman said. She brushed a dark curl from her forehead and stood, taking a candle with her.

Another young lady stood and crossed the room to stand beside her. "Shall I accompany you, Jane?" Faint lines of concern creased her forehead.

"Really, Cassandra!" She laughed easily. "One cannot go to bed early in this house without the entire company sounding an alarm. Truly, I shall be fine."

"All the same, perhaps you should retire your pen for the evening." The young woman's eyes searched her sister's face for a promise.

"It is done. To please you, my dear. Wish Father goodnight for me?" Jane bent to kiss her sister's cheek and climbed the stairs to her bedroom.

Closing the door behind her, she set the candle she carried on the washstand beside the bed. Reaching up to her dark curls, she began to pull pins from her hair, it tumbling down around her shoulders. She moved to her dressing table and seated herself in front of the small mirror. Opening a drawer, she pulled out several pages of paper and a pen, promising herself just a quick moment with her beloved characters.

The candle flickered on the table behind her, and the shadows shifted on the wall. A fine sheen of sweat shone on Jane's forehead as she reread the last few lines of her work and reached her pen absentmindedly toward the inkwell. Her breath felt heavy in her chest as her pen scratched the flourish on the last letter of her newest word. She panted slightly, and she wiped at the beads of sweat on her brow. She dropped her pen, ink spreading in a dark stain across the page.

Jane glanced up into the mirror, weakly pushing herself up from her chair. Her eyes widened in sudden fear and with a sharp gasp, she collapsed to the floor.

**…**

A familiar grinding of gears sounded on the top of a grassy hill, and an unusual blue box faded into view beneath the branches of a large oak tree. The door creaked open and a pair of well-worn trainers stepped onto the grass, a trench coat flapping around them in the breeze. Then followed the eager step of a pair of 18th century, polished, black, ladies boots, just peeking out from the hem of a light cotton muslin.

"Do you think I look then part then, Doctor?"

The man turned to grin at his companion. "The picture of the classic Regency girl. Better put that bonnet on though, Rose. I don't want to be run out of town by the vicar for accompanying an indecently dressed woman."

Rose snorted. "They don't actually do that now, do they?"

"No. Truthfully, I'd be more worried about your ankles showing."

"I guess it's a good thing I opted against the miniskirt then."

"Definitely." He offered her his arm. "Shall we venture towards the town my good lady?"

Rose attempted a curtsy and linked her arm with his. "By all means my good Sir."

The small country town was in a flurry of activity on the warm summer morning. Young girls gazed, giggling, into shop windows, admiring a bonnet here and a good-looking shopkeeper there. Well-dressed men on horses and the occasional carriage kicked up dust on the dirt road. Farmers pulled their carts down the main street and merchants emerged from their shops to advertise their wares to passersby. Gentlemen and ladies of acquaintance greeted each other politely. As the Doctor and Rose strolled down the street, they caught snippets of conversation here and there.

"You know that Jane Austen was the daughter of a clergyman and grew up in a very modest little house in the country? There was absolutely nothing remarkable about her life, and yet she's the primary reason for people from your present to know anything about this time period. One of the greatest writers of English literature, and yet at this time, she was considered so ordinary that not one of the people on this street would have known her from the baker's daughter," the Doctor informed Rose in his leisurely way. There was a boy selling newspapers, and he picked one up, dropping a coin into the boy's hand.

"Where'd you get that?" Rose insisted. "It's not like you carry a wallet around on a regular basis." She looked suspicious.

"Would you believe that the sonic screwdriver and I messed around with an ATM a bit before you left? Jackie told me I should come back with a souvenir for her this time, so I thought I'd pick up a bit of pocket change."

"You got an ATM to give you coins from the 1700s?" She looked incredulous. He merely nodded. "Why does anything you do surprise me anymore?"

"Now let's have a look at this old thing," he said chuckling, flipping open the newspaper. "Ah, 1797, that sounds about right. I was hoping for a solid turn of the century, but the TARDIS never does like to cooperate completely, I suppose."

As he perused the front page for interesting happenings, Rose wandered away to inspect the window of and interesting shop front. A few feet from her two older women were leaning towards each other and whispering earnestly. She drifted closer to them in an attempt to hear what they were saying so excitedly.

"Is there any news of your niece, Mrs. Phillips? I am quite sick with worry. Ever since the regiment left Meryton, there has been such strange goings on. And your young Bennet is only one of them," one woman said earnestly.

"None at all, I'm afraid. I've just come from Longbourn myself, and my poor sister is beside herself. Lydia is said to have gone off with none other than, Mr. Wickham! It is all so shocking; I hardly know what to think. Surely the family is all gone to ruin." The one called Mrs. Phillips replied.

"But that is the strangest news yet. For I have heard of two other supposed elopements here in town."

"No!" Mrs. Phillips looked shocked. Rose laughed quietly. An elopement sure did seem tame compared to what people were shocked at in today's world.

"Yes! But you have not yet heard the oddest bit. Both those girls left a note saying that they have gone off with, no you shall never guess, that very same Mr. Wickham!"

Mrs. Phillips looked as if she were about to faint. "Impossible!" she cried. "Mrs. Long, go for the doctor, I suddenly feel very ill." Just as she said this, her knees gave way beneath her.

The Doctor was suddenly behind her, catching her before she hit the ground. Mrs. Long gasped in shock, putting her hand to her heart.

"Madam, have no fear, I'm a doctor." He set the unconscious Mrs. Phillips, on a bench outside the store front and reached into a pocket inside his coat. He drew out a small bottle and held it beneath her nose. She snorted and jerked her head away, regaining consciousness immediately.

Mrs. Long poured out her gratitude. "Thank you ever so much, Sir. How can we ever thank you enough?"

"Just see that this lady is seen home safely. Perhaps she's had enough walking for today." He smiled at her, but then turned to Rose abruptly. "I think it's time for us to leave."

"What? Why? We just got here." She was puzzled at the worried look on his face.

"I'll tell you on the way back to the TARDIS. Come on."

He was walking so quickly that she had to jog to keep up, lifting her skirt so she wouldn't trip. She smiled grimly now at the thought that showing her ankles seemed to suddenly be the least of her worries.

"Doctor, what's going on?" She asked, panting.

"Have you ever read Pride and Prejudice?" It seemed an odd question in response to hers. She didn't see how his worried expression and popular English literature were related.

"No, why?"

"The name of that newspaper I was reading was called the Meryton Gazette."

"Yeah, that lady who fainted was talking to her friend about a place called Meryton, too. So what?"

"Meryton was a fictional town created by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice. It was the town near where Elizabeth Bennet, the main character, lived with her sisters."

Rose didn't know why, but a slight feeling of dread began to uncurl in the pit of her stomach. She said cautiously, "Those women mentioned something about a Bennet. Something about her running off to elope."

The Doctor seemed to double his pace. They'd reached the foot of the hill where the TARDIS sat. "Lydia? With Mr. Wickham?" He asked.

"Yes." She heard the Doctor mumble what sounded like 'Oh no' under his breath. They'd reached the TARDIS door and the Doctor took out his key to unlock the door. They stepped inside. The light that usually shone so brightly in the center of the room was dark. The Doctor rushed forward and started pressing buttons and turning knobs more quickly than Rose could follow. Nothing happened.

"Doctor, what's going on? Tell me." Rose could hear a slight note of panic creeping into her voice.

"Rose, remember what happened when we landed in that parallel world?" She nodded. "We tore through a wall in time and space. No one should be able to do that. The reason it's bad that town is called Meryton is because Meryton doesn't exist in our history. It's fiction. It only exists within the world of the story. Jane Austen created Meryton, and the characters Lydia Bennet and Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice." He paused, an apologetic look in his eyes.

"We seem to be stuck inside the story. And it doesn't look like we'll be able to get out."


	2. Making Acquaintances

_Thanks so much to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. You've been putting a smile on my face on a regular basis. Any suggestions are always welcome. This chapter is slightly fluffy I think, seeing as my fingers seemed to avoid typing towards the actual plot but hey, that'll show up soon._

_Keep in mind this is without the invaluable help of a beta, seeing as I'm a relatively new author on the site. Anyone who thinks they're up to the job is welcome...heheheh._

* * *

Jane's sister climbed the stairs of their small house, intending to check once on her sister before retiring for the evening. Cassandra knew Jane better than anyone, and she knew that her sister had a tendency to make light of things concerning her own well-being.

She pushed open Jane's door just a crack and called in softly, "Jane, how are you feeling? Do tell me all is well before I go to bed."

Hearing nothing, she opened the door further and took a step inside. It was dark, the candle having since sputtered out. "Jane?" Cassandra squinted, trying to make out the shape of her sister's sleeping form on the bed. Still, there was no answer, and she moved forward, intending to retrieve a candle. She tripped lightly over something on the floor, causing her to glance downward. She screamed.

"Father! Father! Help! Anyone, help, please, help!

**…**

"Right." Rose took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "Well." For a moment, the Doctor looked at her with an expression of such sadness, she didn't know if she could stand it.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I am so, so sorry." He took a step forward and placed his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. He whispered, "I just seem to keep on breaking that promise to your Mum. I told her I'd bring you back to her."

Rose blinked, and she choked back the beginnings of a sob. "Oh god. Mum."

Then, suddenly, he took a step back, thinking. "Ohhh!" Making the sound of discovery and surprise and delight that only the Doctor could make so well, he grinned. "Rose Tyler, you are in the company of a very clever man."

She knew it. Spirits lifted, she raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Mum. Your mum! She's brilliant! Can't shut up to save her life, or mine when I come to think of it, but she's absolutely brilliant!" He turned on his heel and started rifling through the console, looking for something. He grabbed a wrench and started gesturing with it wildly.

"That last parallel world took a real toll on the TARDIS power cells**. **But remember at Christmas when my regeneration went a bit awry and some of that spilled tea of your mother's fixed up the ol' synapses and voila! Good as new?" He was tugging at a section of the floor, and when it lifted he hopped down into the space below. Rose saw him crawling around the junk and machinery, pointing the sonic screwdriver out in front of him.

"Well, that tea did some damage to the power cells over in this sector so I rerouted power to Sectors 2 and 3 and let the cells over here go dormant for a bit. I never really had a chance to work on it again, so we've been running on a sort of low power mode. Made the TARDIS a bit sluggish really. I haven't had time to work on them, and, actually, I forgot about them for a bit. But since these cells have been flipped off, there's a chance they might not have been damaged in the world breach. Let's just see he…ahh! Ha!" He popped his head up through another trap door in the floor about 3 meters from Rose's feet. With a wide smile spread across his face, he held in his hand what looked like a rather large, green, glowing diamond.

"Hook this little bugger up to the main circuit, and we'll be recharged in 24 hours. I'm starting to get this whole impossible parallel world travel thing down pat." His head disappeared for a moment and Rose heard the buzz of the sonic screwdriver and him puttering around in the works. Pulling himself back up onto the grating, he wiped his hands on the front of his pants and ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up more than usual. "There, all set. In the meantime, what do you say to meeting Mr. Darcy?"

Walking through the front park of the Longbourn Estate, Rose fidgeted with her hair. She may not have read Pride and Prejudice, but the mention of Mr. Darcy jogged her memory of seeing a movie version on television once. She didn't remember much, but she thought there had been a scene with Colin Firth in a wet, white shirt, and that was enough to make any girl nervous.

"What can the psychic paper say to make 18th century aristocrats like us?" she asked, trying to fix the bow on her bonnet.

The Doctor glanced down at her, amused. "Stop fidgeting. Mr. Darcy isn't here now; we're not at that point in the story. If Lydia's run away…" he stopped to do some calculations in his head. "He probably won't be here until tomorrow. And trust me, at any mention of nobility and Mrs. Bennet will be _thrilled_ to see us."

"But if Darcy isn't here, what are _we_ doing here? If we're stuck inside of something I was supposed to have read in high school, I at least want to meet the main characters. My ancient, boring, English Lit. teacher would be disappointed otherwise."

"Maybe he wouldn't have been disappointed if you had read the book in the first place. You know, you probably would have gotten a lot more out of that class if you had done the assignments. I always found Earth to have a great supply of interesting reading material. There's this great encyclopedia on the beetles of the South American rain for-"

Rose cut him off. "Doctor. Just answer the question."

"Yes, well, in order to follow the proper rules of society, we must form an acquaintance with the family before we can be introduced to the 'decidedly unpleasant' Mr. Darcy." He smirked. "With any luck he'll 'be in humor to give consequence to a young lady of your caliber.'"

"You better watch your step. You never know how fictional characters will react to meeting a time lord. They might not be able to handle it. Don't do anything to ruin the story, like telling them the ending or anything." Rose stopped walking and looked at him. "Doctor, what point are we at in the book?"

"About the middle. Well, later part of the middle. Why?" Rose looked relieved.

"I'm just glad we have some time left. I'm not sure I want to know what happens to the world inside a book when the story ends."

The Doctor chuckled at the thought and nodded in agreement. Inside, however, he was thinking the same thing.

"Whoa, these people have got it good. Must be rolling in it." Rose said, rather awe-struck, as they stood at the large front door of Longbourn.

"Actually, for a gentleman, Mr. Bennet isn't really that wealthy. That's a rather large factor in the book; it means that his daughters need to marry into money." The Doctor replied as he reached out and pounded the knocker several times.

Rose grinned mischievously. "Gold diggers."

The Doctor returned her smile just as the door opened and a middle-aged, haggard-looking, female servant opened the door. "May I ask who's calling, Sir?"

"Yes, hello." He turned his smile to her, full-force, and reached inside his coat for the psychic paper. "I'm the Doctor and this is my…" he floundered for a moment, looking rather awkward. "This is my wife, Rose Tyler. We're distant, _very _distant, cousins of a Mr. Collins, and he gave us such a complimentary review of the Bennet family, that we decided we simply must meet them ourselves. We've just come up from town, and were, um, passing through."

She curtsied. "I'll show you in to the drawing room, Sir."

As she turned and led them down the hall, a shrieking voice echoed down the stairs. "Hill! Hill! Oh where is Hill? My nerves are all frazzled to pieces, and I have such fluttering all up and down that I do not know what I shall do. Hill!"

The servant stopped in front of a door and curtsied again. "The mistress is not well at present I'm afraid." She opened the door and stepped in.

"A Dr. and Mrs. Tyler to see you, Miss. They say they're distant cousins of Mr. Collins." She nodded towards an unseen figure in the corner of the room. She curtsied a third time, held the door open for them, and left the Doctor and Rose standing the drawing room in Longbourn to meet the Bennets.

There were several girls sitting in chairs about the room, and they stood as the two travelers entered. The eldest looked to be several years older than Rose, and had a gentle-looking face framed in many small, blonde ringlets. The girl next to her looked quite a bit younger and held an unfinished bonnet in her hand. Another stood on the other side of the room next to a small piano; she wore glasses and looked displeased. And there, in the center of the room, stood a girl about the same age as Rose, with dark hair and intelligent eyes.

The blonde girl spoke first. "You are very welcome. I'm sorry that you find us in such a state of disrepair; our mother is indisposed and our father has gone to town on a family matter. I'm afraid we were not expecting visitors."

The dark-haired girl came to stand beside her. "I do not believe we've met before. I am Elizabeth Bennet and this is my sister Jane. My sisters Mary and Kitty sit over there."

"Miss Bennet." The Doctor bowed slightly. He was beaming. "Miss Elizabeth Bennet." His grin seemed to stretch even wider. "I can't tell you how happy I am to meet you."

"Is that so, Dr. Tyler?" the black haired girl asked. She looked surprised.

"Just the Doctor. Oh, and this is my Rose." He stepped aside, still beaming.

Rose was suddenly nervous again. She was meeting the heroine. "I find it, uh, utterly charming to make your acquaintance in this, uh, very well-managed establishment you have here."

The Doctor leaned down and shook his head. "Don't do that. Really, don't do that."

Jane and Elizabeth smiled warmly. "We're charmed to make your acquaintance as well, Mrs. Tyler."

Rose knew it was silly, but she felt a little fluttering in her stomach when they mentioned her being married to the Doctor. "Oh, just call me Rose."

The younger girls exchanged a look of surprise. She felt immediately as though she'd done something rude. Saving her faux pas, the Doctor interjected. "We've just been up from London. Calling acquaintances by their Christian names is all the rage this season."

"Oh, I see. Then by all means, do call me Elizabeth." She smiled at Rose again.

"Yes, and I Jane."

There came a cough from the corner. Rose turned to see a rather stout, greasy-haired man in black smiling fawningly in their direction. Jane hastened to make the introduction.

"Please forgive our rudeness. You say that you are distant cousins of Mr. Collins? Here, you will be so pleased to find him visiting at this very moment." She gestured toward him with a rather forced smile.

The Doctor looked surprised for a moment, but then as if he remembered something, and just as Mr. Collins opened his mouth to speak, he rushed over and started shaking his hand wildly. "Collins old fellow, we haven't seen you in so long. Tell us, how is Mrs. Collins? No, you will never guess who I saw at St. James' Court! Let me just say, Lady Catherine sends her regards."

Rose had to stifle a laugh as she saw the look of extreme confusion pass over the man's face at this strange man who he'd never met before in his life change to a look of sheer gratitude and pass once more into a look of such self-importance that he could have been the King of England himself. Obviously, his trouble processing his memory of his imaginary cousin was forgotten at the mention of this Lady Catherine.

"My dear Doctor, thank you so much for this extension of familiars from my esteemed patroness. I have no doubt that Mrs. Collins will be thrilled to hear it when I return to her this very afternoon."

The Doctor wore an expression of mock horror. "Collins! Do not tell me that you intend to keep her in suspense from this news for another minute! Surely Mrs. Collins would never forgive me if I let you keep her waiting. You must start for home at once, for Lady Catherine informed me also that she wanted to wish Charlotte a late happy birthday."

It looked as though Mr. Collins were having trouble breathing. "Lady Catherine de Bourgh is sending Mrs. Collins a happy birthday?" The Doctor nodded gravely. "Yes, yes. I shall start away at once. She will be so pleased to hear…" He made sharp bows to each of his cousins, so quickly that Rose thought his brain must be sloshing around from all the up and down motion. Then he turned and scurried out the door, muttering apologies for his abrupt departure.

The Doctor turned to face the sisters, who looked such a mixture of shock and pleasure that Rose let out the laugh she'd been holding. The Doctor shrugged.

"He's not a favorite cousin."

An hour or two had passed, while Rose and the Doctor sat and chatted with the Bennet sisters. The Doctor had been entertaining them with stories of the time he had met St. George _and_ the dragon. They all laughed merrily, thinking him a wonderful storyteller. Rose told herself to be sure to ask him about the truth of that later.

"Where are you staying? I had been told that all the rooms in Meryton were full." The younger girl, Kitty, asked. She earned a harsh look from Jane for her rudeness in the personal question.

"Uhh…" The Doctor looked towards Rose in question. "We weren't quite sure actually. I guess we thought we'd sort of move on tonight."

"No, you mustn't! Do stay! They can stay with us, can't they, Lizzie?"

"Yes, if you'd like." Elizabeth welcomed. "I don't wish to force you if you'd made other arrangements, but I believe we can easily make room."

"We don't want to impose." Rose objected.

"Nonsense!" Jane chimed in. "You are both such delightful company, we shall be very pleased to have you. We will dine, and then Hill will show you to a room."

"When you put it that way…" Rose looked at the Doctor, smiling. He raised his eyebrows with a grin and said, "Great. We'd be delighted to stay."

Dinner was yet another pleasant affair, full of joking and laughter. Rose got the feeling that this was a break in some tension; that the two eldest especially were letting loose after being under a lot of strain. She supposed it had something to do with what the Doctor had said about Lydia running away.

Afterward, she and the Doctor followed Hill up the stairs and down a hallway. She stopped in front of a doorway and opened the door for them. "Your room, Sir, Ma'am."

Rose looked into the room and saw a plain room with a single bed up against the wall. One small bed. "Oh, uh…"

The Doctor cut her off. "Thank you, Hill. Rose?" He ushered her into the room. "Goodnight!" He shut the door.

"We're married, remember? You can't go asking for a separate room, it'll look odd."

"_I_ make us look odd?" Rose was indignant. "It was just unexpected; I wasn't going to complain. Besides, look at you. You're wearing trainers in 18th century England, and you're saying _I_ make us look odd?"

He sighed. "Right. Sorry."

They were silent for a moment. Then he spoke again, "Well, I'll take the floor than, shall I?"

"Oh, no. You don't have to." Rose blushed slightly. "I mean, I'm sure we can both fit."

"No, no. I'll take the floor."

"Come on, Doctor. This is hard wood, and I'm not giving up my blankets for you to sleep on. Just scootch over and it'll be fine." She went over to the bed and climbed in. She patted the space next to her. "See? Plenty of room."

He walked over and lay down next to her. He wiggled around to get comfortable, and they ended up lying back to back. "'Night, Rose."

"'Night."

A couple of tense minutes passed, while they listened to their breathing getting in sync.

"Hey Doctor?"

"Yeah?"

Rose propped herself up on one elbow so she could grin at him.

"We're sleeping in Elizabeth Bennet's house."

**…**

The Austen family sat worriedly as they listened to the doctor.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. I've never seen anything like it. Medically, there doesn't seem to be much wrong with her. And yet…" He paused to look down at the pale figure in the bed. "Just keep her warm and try to keep her fever down. I'll call back on the morn."

Cassandra leaned forward to dab with a cool cloth at the beads of sweat on her sister's forehead. She heard her father shutting the front door after the doctor. Her mother left the room to meet him in the hallway. She heard them talking quietly, trying to keep her from hearing the fear in their voices.

Jane turned her head restlessly in her sleep, her breathing heavy and labored. She moved her lips slightly as if she were saying something in the delirium of the fever.

"Jane? Dearest, can you hear me?" Cassandra held her sister's hand tightly. She brushed a sweat-drenched curl off Jane's forehead.

Her lips moved slightly again, and Cassandra bent forward to hear her. The words chilled her heart.

"Stop...them. They're coming."


	3. News

The first thing Rose noticed when she woke up was that she had apparently drooled all over the pillow while she slept. Hastily, she wiped off her cheek and closed her mouth. How embarrassing.

The second thing she noticed was that the Doctor was already up and about. He'd left her a note saying that he'd gone down for breakfast and that she should meet him in the garden when she woke up. Realizing that her dress was a little wrinkly from having slept in it and that she would have to wait to brush her teeth until she got back to the TARDIS, she descended the stairs, figuring personal hygiene shouldn't be the first of her worries in fictional Regency England.

"Good morning, Rose," Jane greeted her as she entered the dining room where several members of the family were finishing their breakfasts. "I hope that your sleeping arrangements were to your taste." Rose's mind flashed unbidden to a vague memory of the Doctor rolling over in his sleep and his arm curling around her waist. She smiled a bit cheekily at the thought.

"Yes, they were very nice, thanks." She sat down on the far end of the table, across from Elizabeth. She had brought a book to the table, but set it down when Rose came in. She smiled.

"I do so wish that your visit had come sooner." She looked sad.

"Why do you say that?"

"Surely you know of our predicament. It's the talk of the town, I'm afraid."

"You mean the business with your little sister? Don't worry; I'm sure everything will turn out right." Rose reached a hand across the table to comfort her. Elizabeth looked slightly startled, but as if she welcomed the gesture.

"I'm not so sure if it will. The man she…the man she left with is not the man many believed him to be. Even I was highly mistaken in his character for a time."

"Still, though. Maybe some of it's just gossip. I heard two ladies talking about how this Wickham guy ran off with two other girls too. Now that's not possible. Maybe they're wrong about your sister too."

"What's that, Rose?" The Doctor was standing in the doorway.

"Morning, Doctor."

"Yeah, yeah, good morning. What were you saying?" He came to sit across from her, leaning in intently.

"About those women? That one that fainted was talking to her friend about how Wickham eloped with all these other girls. And that's not possible for him to run off with them all at once, now is it?" She nodded towards him as if she wanted him to confirm her statement and reassure Elizabeth.

He made a little noise, thinking hard. "How many other girls, specifically?"

"Two. Why, how many girls does a guy need to elope with at one time?" She looked apologetically at Jane and Elizabeth, knowing the conversation wasn't exactly sensitive to their problem.

The Doctor sat back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. Rose knew that look; she could almost see the wheels of thought spinning in his mind.

Suddenly, the clatter of carriage wheels on gravel was heard and the girls jumped from their chairs with a look of anticipation on their faces.

"Father is come home!" Jane cried.

"With news. Do excuse us." Elizabeth looked from the Doctor to Rose and rushed from the room, following Jane eagerly.

Rose got up from her chair and crossed the room to lean on the table next to where the Doctor sat.

"What's up?"

"That's exactly what I'd like to know." He answered, turning to face her with a look of confusion. "I wish there was a way to know if those women were just idle gossips or if that was true. About the other two girls."

"Why's it so important?"

"Because it doesn't happen. In the novel, I mean. Everyone gets all riled up about Lydia, but then she and Wickham are found, they get married, and that's the end of it. Sure, it's the talk of the town for awhile, and people say things about Wickham's other supposed 'seductions' but there's never any mention of him running off twice, not to mention three times."

"But what's the big deal? Who cares if a couple of old bats want to make up stories about the bad guy?"

He thought for another moment. "Yeah, you're probably right. I just want to be sure the story's staying on track. Don't want the characters wandering around and changing up the plot." He grinned. "Wouldn't it be just rich if Mr. Darcy makes the wrong choice and ends up falling for Mrs. Bennet instead?"

As if on cue, the same shrill voice from yesterday came ringing down the stairs. "Is that Mr. Bennet?! Hill! Run and check to be sure that he has not dueled Wickham and lost and is being brought home in pieces! Oh!" Great, shrieking sobs rent the air. "Oh, we are all ruined!"

Rose grimaced. "Quite the bottle of sunshine, isn't she?"

The Doctor nodded in agreement and sauntered out into the front hall to meet the master of the house. He was a middle-aged man with graying curls and an expression of grim acceptance. Rose could tell immediately that he brought no good news of his daughter. His eyebrows raised in surprise as he laid eyes on his two visitors. He looked to Elizabeth for explanation.

"Oh, Father. We have had visitors whilst you were away. May I present the Doctor and Rose Tyler; they are cousins of our beloved Mr. Collins. However, the family line seems to have been more blessed on their end than it was on his." She gave him a meaningful look, no doubt communicating that they were not nearly as odious as their supposed relation.

"Very pleased to meet you, Sir, Mrs. Tyler, I am sure." He turned once more to his daughters. "If someone would please go to my wife and assure her that I am not being returned home in a matchbox, I would be much obliged. No doubt we would all benefit from the extension of the knowledge. Now if you will all excuse me, I shall retire to my library. I require some peace to digest the information I have just brought you."

Kitty entered the room just as their father disappeared behind the door of his study.

"What news does Papa bring?" she inquired anxiously. Her sister was kept from answering by yet another nervous cry from above.

"I must go to my mother," Jane said reluctantly. She squeezed Elizabeth's hand for strength and left the room.

Elizabeth headed for the door as she answered sharply, "They have not yet discovered her. That is all."

Rose looked at the Doctor with raised, questioning eyebrows. That was most definitely _not_ all. Mr. Bennet had brought more news than that, but what it was, she had no idea. That is to say she had no idea, _yet_.

She found Elizabeth in the garden, on a far side of the yard sitting on a stone bench. Her back was facing her, but Rose could tell she was crying.

"Elizabeth?" Startled, she jumped and immediately tried to dry her eyes. Rose sat down beside her and put her arm around her shoulders. "There now, why don't you tell me what's going on? Trust me, I can help."

"Forgive me. It is just…Father has brought the most dreadful news." She wiped at her eyes only to bring on a fresh batch of tears. "I am so afraid for Lydia. Stupid, stupid, girl that we once thought her. There is now reason to believe…and even I who knew what he was did not suspect him of something so bad as this…there is now reason to believe that Wickham did not run off with Lydia merely for the purposes of using her for his own amusement."

"What reasons are these then?" The Doctor was leaning up against a stone wall just a few feet from him. Poor Elizabeth jumped in surprise all over again. "Sorry, eavesdropping, bad habit. What makes you think that Wickham didn't want Lydia for his 'amusement' as you say?"

"Oh, it is too horrible. Other girls have gone missing. From London, Brighton, Lyme, all across the countryside. They've all left notes in a similar nature to Lydia's, but the police are beginning to suspect that this is not the work of just one man. They believe…they believe there may be a group of such villains kidnapping young girls and…executing them." Another sob escaped Elizabeth's lips.

Rose was horrified. "What, you mean like killing them?" All Elizabeth could do was nod.

The Doctor came to kneel in front of Elizabeth with a fierce look in his eyes. "Miss Bennet, I need you to tell me just exactly what was in Lydia's letter." Elizabeth had a book lying on the bench next to her and she removed one of the papers that were sticking out.

"I have it here." She handed it to him.

Rose read over the Doctor's shoulder:

"MY DEAR HARRIET,

You will laugh when you know where I am gone, and I cannot help laughing myself at your surprise to-morrow morning, as soon as I am missed. I am going to Gretna Green, and if you cannot guess with whom, I shall think you a simpleton, for there is but one man in the world I love, and he is an angel. I should never be happy without him, so think it no harm to be off. You need not send them word at Longbourn of my going, if you do not like it, for it will make the surprise the greater when I write to them and sign my name _Lydia __Wickham_. What a good joke it will be! I can hardly write for laughing. Pray make my excuses to Pratt, for not keeping my engagement and dancing with him to night. Tell him I hope he will excuse me when he knows all, and tell him I will dance with him at the next ball we meet, with great pleasure. I shall send for my clothes when I get to Longbourn; but I wish you would tell Sally to mend a great slit in my worked muslin gown before they are packed up. Good bye. Give my love to Colonel Forster. I hope you will drink to our good journey. _Please conceal my absence as long as you dare, for I do wish to get away with my love _without_ detection. _

Your affectionate friend,

LYDIA BENNET.''

The Doctor handed the letter back to her, face unreadable. He cocked his head in the direction of the house. "Pray excuse us, Miss Bennet." She nodded, forcing a smile.

Rose followed him, curious. "What's going on? I'm not sure, but somehow I don't think Jane Austen wrote about a serial killer in Pride and Prejudice."

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "That's just it. I have no idea. It seems to me that someone is messing around with the events of the story. For instance, that letter wasn't quite right. Lydia Bennet wasn't known for her grammar skills; in the original letter there was a 'who' that should have been 'whom' and-"

"Hold it." Rose interrupted, flabbergasted. "You remember a missing 'm'? Out of that entire book, you remember an 'm'?"

He went on as if she hadn't cut him off. "And that last sentence. That's not there either. Whoever wrote that letter did a pretty convincing job, but they put a little too much emphasis on not being found."

"I guess those women in Meryton knew what they were talking about after all."

**…**

The room was dark and smelled vaguely of mold. A small puddle had formed in one corner from a leak in the ceiling. Not that anyone could have found the crack in the impenetrable darkness, but a constant _plink plink plink _gave some indication.

Lydia Bennet cowered in a corner, back pressed up against the stone wall. She shivered, but whether it was more from cold or fear, she hardly knew. She'd been there for a long time, but how long she couldn't tell. It was impossible to count the days or nights in the unending blackness.

The grating sound of metal on stone was heard as the door to her prison was pushed open. Slow, methodical footsteps made their way toward her, but still she could see nothing.

"Who are you?" She whispered weak from terror.

A match struck against the stone and for a brief second illuminated the face of her captor.

Her answering scream echoed into the returning darkness.

* * *

_I admit that a couple of lines in this chapter I stole from the celebrated Miss Jane Austen. The letter, for instance, except for the little bit of editing I did. One must give credit where credit is due. _:)


	4. A Ball

_Sorry that this chapter took a little longer than usual for me to post. I've been camping, and most tents don't come equipped with an internet connection. Thanks so much to everyone who's been following along._

* * *

Cassandra slept fitfully in a chair at her Jane's bedside. Arms folded and head resting on the side of the bed, she didn't leave her sister's side. A slight movement from the center of the bed jostled her arm and she sat up groggily, blinking away sleep.

"Jane?" she asked gently, reaching out to her sleeping form.

Suddenly, the body that had been still as death the moment before, sat up sharply. Cassandra gasped in fear. Jane's eyes were wide and staring. But they were not the eyes her sister knew. They were cold and empty, fixed on a point at the far side of the room. Stiffly, Jane swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, still staring blankly at the opposite wall.

"Jane! Dearest, come back to bed. You are not well!" Cassandra rushed to her side and tried to turn her towards the bed, but to no avail. She walked slowly, placing one foot heavily in front of the other. Cassandra pulled gently on her arm, but nothing she did could sway her.

"Jane. Please," her voice cracked from fright and concern. "You will do yourself injury. Please, Jane."

Deaf to Cassandra's pleas, Jane continued her monotonous walk until she reached her writing desk; she sat stiffly and took out her pen. Reaching with one arm for the inkwell, she began to write. Slowly at first, new lines of text began to flow from her pen. On and on, new pages of prose piled up atop the old ones.

Cassandra watched with wide-eyed fear; she knew Jane's manuscript well, but did not see the role it played in her beloved sister's illness. She couldn't understand this new craze for writing, or her unresponsiveness. It was as if Lucifer himself had taken over her mind and body. Then, reading an unfamiliar name over her sister's shoulder she asked in confusion, "Jane..."

"Who is Rose?"

**…**

"But, Doctor, what are we going to do?" Rose looked at him expectantly.

"Nothing." It was Elizabeth's turn to sneak up on them. "Please, you have already done more than enough. You are very kind, but there is nothing anyone can do."

"Miss Bennet-" The Doctor tried to object.

"No. Doctor, I thank you for your kindness. But there is nothing to be done but wait."

Their conversation was interrupted by a very excited Kitty running towards them waving a piece of paper in front of her.

"Lizzie! You shall never guess! We have been invited to a ball this very evening, and Father says we may go. He says it's to keep our mind off things, and I don't know exactly what he meant by that, but oh Lizzie, may I borrow your blue gown?" She was out of breath by the time she reached them. "Oh and there's even a little note at the bottom inviting Rose and the Doctor as well." She held it out and Elizabeth took it from her.

"But who is it from, Kitty?" she asked.

"That's just it. I've no idea. But it's being held at the Assembly Rooms this evening, and Lady Lucas has just come with her invitation. And she tells Mama that Mrs. Long has had one as well. So may I borrow your blue gown, Lizzie?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes of course. But ask Hill if she'd look after it, for it has not been pressed." She handed the invitation back to her and Kitty scampered back to the house in high spirits. "What do you make of this, Doctor?"

He shrugged and raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. "I guess some odd duck decided to throw a surprise party. It is a bit strange that they knew we were staying with you though. Oh well, I guess word gets around fast in a small town."

"You think we should go then?" she asked.

"I don't see why not. Go and have a good time. Maybe your father's right. It might be good to get your mind off things for a little while. You go, and I'll hold down the fort here."

"Oh but, Doctor, you must come as well! Father will be here in the event new information is heard," Elizabeth protested. Then, smiling she said, "Besides, I am sure that your wife will be quite put out if she loses the chance to dance with you."

Rose grinned at him; she was starting to enjoy playing his wife. "That's right, Doctor. If you don't dance with me tonight, I don't know what I'll do," she joked. "After all, I know you know how." She reminded him of a night so long ago, when the tunes of the 1940's had put the spring back in his step.

The afternoon passed quickly with the whole house full of the excitement of an upcoming ball. Even Mrs. Bennet was up and about, greeting her new visitors and shouting instructions on the evening's attire; no doubt the prospect of an event which could push forward the marriage of another daughter was enough to quell her worries about Lydia. Mr. Bennet had kept the knowledge about his youngest daughter from all but Jane and Elizabeth in the hopes that she may be found before any worse news was heard.

Rose was making her way down the hallway when a bedroom door opened at Elizabeth stuck out her head. "Rose? What are you planning on wearing this evening?"

She faltered. "Oh, uh, I guess I was just going to go in this." She gestured down at the dress she'd been in for the past two days. Realizing how disheveled she must look, she grimaced. Elizabeth caught her look and smiled.

"If you care to come in I have something I could lend you."

"You don't have to-" Rose protested.

"No, but I would be very pleased to." Elizabeth grabbed her hand and pulled her into her room. She turned to pick up the dress lying on her bed. "Try it on."

Rose looked at herself in the mirror, turning this way and that to get a better view of Elizabeth's dress. "It's beautiful."

It was simple, but very elegant. White satin cascaded in folds to the floor and puffed fashionably in the short sleeves. A thin, white ribbon wound its way around the empire waistline and ended in a small bow at the back. The square-cut neckline was quite low and left little to the imagination. _I'm not allowed to show my ankles, but it's totally okay if my boobs are hanging out,_ Rose thought and smiled slightly at the irony.

"I had hoped you would like it."

"Lizzy?" Jane's head popped around the door. "Oh, Rose, you look simply lovely. I am so glad you thought to lend her that dress, Lizzy. I had just come to ask if I should offer one."

"Thanks so much, both of you," Rose said sincerely.

"It is nothing." Elizabeth went to stand beside her in the mirror. "Now let's see what we can do with your hair."

After the girls had put the finishing touches on their attire, they made their way down the stairs to meet the family and be on their way. Rose followed behind Elizabeth and Jane, and when she reached the bottom, she stopped dead in her tracks. The Doctor was standing there wearing a proper 18th century gentleman's suit, all the way down to a snowy white cravat. He was beaming, clearly proud of himself.

Rose burst out laughing.

"Doctor," she gasped for air. "You're wearing tights!"

He pursed his lips. "And I lend them much distinction, if I do say so myself."

Rose did her best to contain a last giggle, but it squeaked out anyway. "No, you look nice. Really."

"So do you." He looked her up and down. "Yep, I think you'll do." He winked, and she laughed again.

They made their way out the door and Rose looked at him mischievously. "So tell me, Doctor. In those tights…do you feel pretty?"

It was quite a squeeze on the carriage ride into Meryton. What with Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth, Jane, Mary, Kitty, and the Doctor, Rose found herself absolutely smushed between the latter and a highly giggly Kitty. Once they arrived at the Assembly Rooms it wasn't much better. The whole of town and the surrounding countryside were somehow packed into the small ballroom.

"Oh, what a crush!" cried Mrs. Bennet as they entered.

The lively sound of a violin played over the noise of the crowd and Rose felt her own excitement start to build. She was at a _ball_. And she had a time lord for a date. What could be better than that?

The Doctor elbowed her gently in the side and nodded toward the punch bowl. She followed.

"Right, so, I'm picking up a signal on the sonic screwdriver that indicates-" he started.

"Wait a minute." Rose interrupted, holding up her hand. "I thought we were here to have fun."

"We are. But when a piece of classic English literature is being rewritten from the inside out, probably with alien involvement, I think we have more important matters to deal with than going to a dance."

"Just give me five minutes, yeah? One dance, and then we can get back to business. It's been awhile."

The Doctor deliberated for a moment, trying to decide whether or not he should give in. He melted. "Alright." He offered her his arm. "Miss Tyler? May I have this dance?"

"Certainly, Doctor. You may."

The string orchestra struck up a new song, and he led her to the floor. They stood across from each other, fitting themselves into the two classic lines. Just as the first step began, the Doctor asked, "Rose. Do you actually know how to dance a quadrille?"

"Yep. Mum sent me to a ballroom dancing summer camp one year."

He groaned. "Gotta give it to your Mum. She certainly is thorough."

They were silent for a moment, stepping and turning in time to the music. Grasping each other's hands to complete the next turn, Rose whispered, "Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for bringing me here. I know it wasn't planned for _here_ exactly. But I love it. Thank you."

"Me too." They were silent again.

She didn't know if it was the atmosphere of a centuries old romantic novel, or the way her dress swished around her ankles as she moved, or the way the Doctor was looking at her, as if he was thoroughly enjoying himself and at the same time incredibly, heartbreakingly sad, but Rose felt like this might be one of those moments. One of those moments where time sort of stands still, even for those who are the lords of it. It was important; Rose wanted to be sure to remember every second of this dance, and the feeling that she and the Doctor were the only two people in the whole world, twirling together in the emptiness and forever.

All too soon it was over. The song ended, and the magic snapped. The Doctor was back to his normal, curious, babbling self.

"Okay, now tell me what you wanted to say before." Rose adjusted her gloves, storing away the memory of the dance for later.

"_Well_, I'm not exactly sure." He reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver. He held it up to his ear, and it beeped a few times. "It's just, it seems to be picking up something. A signal of some sort. If I could just lock onto it, I could figure out where it's coming from. I'll tell you one thing, though. It's not human, that's for sure." He stopped talking and looked across the room. "Rose…"

"Yeah?"

"That man's staring at you." Leaning up against the far wall, a man in a black coat was looking intently in their direction.

She smirked. "Maybe he wants to ask me to dance. That's not Darcy is it?"

"I don't think so." He frowned. "He looks a bit odd. I'd stay off him if I were you."

"I dunno. I think he's kinda cute."

"You're going for the greasy and glowering look now, are you?" He glanced at her, still trying to reset his screwdriver. She shrugged.

"Alright. Suit yourself. This might be your big chance; it looks like he's coming over."

The man got off the wall and walked slowly towards them, keeping his eyes trained on Rose. She smiled a little, and he nodded. Finally making his way up to her, he asked in a deep voice "May I ask for the next if the lady is not previously engaged?"

"The lady is not." Rose answered, flattered by his attention. He offered her his hand, and she took it, looking at the Doctor. He nodded and ushered them absentmindedly towards the floor, fiddling all the while with his screwdriver.

The dance was a slow one, but Rose didn't know it quite as well as the other. She tried to watch the other women out of the corner of her eye and still keep up with her mysterious partner.

He spoke quietly. "It is not often that one has the pleasure of dancing with such a handsome woman."

"Thank you." Rose flushed slightly.

"I consider myself very lucky. But I seem to have stolen your charms from your companion there." He waved his hand toward the Doctor. "Your brother, I hope?"

She stuttered a bit. "Oh, no, uh…my husband actually."

"Pity."

His dark eyes were focused unwaveringly on hers. Rose felt a little fluttering in her stomach, but whether it was from pleasure or fear she couldn't tell. His gaze was becoming a bit unnerving.

The dance lasted a bit longer than she would have liked, and by the end of it, she was almost glad to let go of the handsome stranger. The Doctor was right: he was just a tad creepy.

But her partner seemed to have other ideas.

"My dear lady, would you care to join me for a glass of punch? The terrace is just over a ways, and the stars are very beautiful this evening."

"I don't think so. I'd better be getting back," she tried to decline.

"Surely your husband can spare you for a few moments. He has the pleasure of your company his whole life, while I may only enjoy it for a few minutes." He smiled at her.

Rose hesitated. She glanced towards the Doctor, but he was facing the other direction. "I guess just one glass would be alright."

The man led her out onto the terrace, scooping up two glasses of punch from a passing server. The night would have been entirely black except for a smattering of stars and several torches which burned in the back gardens. The other couple that had been outside entered back through the doors, leaving the two of them alone.

"It certainly is a lovely night," he observed softly, drifting closer to her.

"Yes." Rose sipped at her punch, starting to feel nervous.

He turned to her, his lip curling up into a sneer. "It's too bad that you won't get a chance to enjoy it."

Rose started to back away. "Wha-"

She was gripped from behind, large hands covering her mouth. She struggled and tried to scream but a cloth covered her face and muffled her cry. She tried to hold her breath, but the chloroform did its work and she went limp.

The last thing she saw was the snarling smirk of her captor as he marked something down into a small book.

Then everything went black.


	5. To the Rescue

The bustle and laughter of the ball continued on around the Doctor while he sat up against the wall, oblivious to it all. For a moment, his eyes lit up as a flare in the signal he was tracking pulsed through the sonic screwdriver. All his fiddling would pay off if he could get to the TARDIS and run the signal through the main computer. But his ship was quite a hike from Meryton and he couldn't just up and leave without telling Rose.

Keeping his finger pressed down onto a certain button so as to hold onto his precious transmission, he raked his eyes over the crowd, looking for her. That was odd. She didn't seem to be in the ballroom. He searched through the dancing couples then looked through the doorway into the next room. It didn't look as if she were in there either. At the back of his mind, a little, nagging worry started to blossom. He brushed it away, knowing Rose had a tendency to go off on her own.

He spotted Elizabeth chatting with a slightly older girl in a corner of the room and made his way over to her. "You haven't seen Rose, have you Miss Elizabeth?"

"I'm afraid I haven't, Doctor."

"Look, if you see her, could you tell her I've gone back to the TA- that I've gone out for a bit of fresh air, and that I'll meet you all back at the house?" He looked around the room a last time in search of her.

"Certainly, Doctor." If she was surprised at this unconventional behavior she didn't show it. "I will be sure to inform her of your message." He nodded to her in thanks and headed for the exit.

**…**

Rose woke groggily with a dull ache at the back of her head and feeling slightly nauseous. She groaned. Pushing herself into a sitting position, she wondered briefly where she was. It was really dark, wherever it was.

"Ugh." She grimaced, pulling her hand back from a puddle of something wet. She heard the sound of dripping water nearby and smiled grimly. At least she wouldn't die of thirst.

Suddenly, Rose heard a quiet, whimpering sob and she jumped. She wasn't alone.

"Hello?" she said tentatively. She leaned forward, trying to figure out where the sound came from.

A weak, frightened voice answered. "Who are you?" A pause. "Have they gotten you, too?"

"I'm Rose. Don't be scared; I won't hurt you. Do you know where we are?"

A sniffle. "N-no."

Switching into comforting-mode, Rose asked gently, "What's your name?"

"Lydia. Lydia B-bennet."

Rose gasped. "Lydia!"

"What?" She sounded even more frightened.

"No, don't worry. I'm just surprised. I've been staying with your family." She paused, unsure how to continue. "They're very worried about you."

The sobs started again. Rose crawled forward slowly, trying to make her way over to the crying girl. She had to feel her way in the complete blackness. Finally, her hands felt the fabric of the other girl's skirt and Rose sat up against the wall next to her. "Don't cry. Everything will be alright. Trust me."

Lydia didn't seem to believe her. Rose put her arm around her and squeezed gently. "I've got this friend. He can help us."

"N-no one can help us. No one knows w-where we are."

"He'll find us. Believe me, he'll come." Rose hoped her voice sounded stronger than she felt.

"He'll come," she whispered again.

**…**

The Doctor stepped quickly around the TARDIS console, hands flying from lever to gadget. The sonic screwdriver lay hooked up to several wires and the signal was starting to fade. The computer screen beeped and he ran to it, eyes flying over it.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" He ran to the screwdriver and fiddled with the setting, trying to hold onto the signal. "If I can just get the coordinates…ha!"

He dropped it and stepped back with a look of victory. "Gotcha." He strode over to the screen once more to take a note of the reading. "London, England. Why am I not surprised? What is it with aliens and London? Even fictional London…" He pressed a few keys, saving the information. "Now I just have to go and get Rose."

He grabbed his coat and shrugged it on as he opened the TARDIS door, glad he'd had one of those few spare moments to change back into his brown suit. He stepped outside into the darkness and stopped in his tracks. For just a few feet away stood-

"Elizabeth?" His surprise sounded in his voice. "What's the matter?"

"I bring ill tidings, Doctor." She set down the lantern she was carrying, voice heavy with sorrow. "Rose is gone."

"What? No, can't be. She was there at the ball with you when I left." He shook his head dismissively.

"I speak the truth, Sir. She has not been seen by a single soul since a couple at the ball noticed her exiting onto the terrace with a strange man. I am so sorry. We fear the worst has happened." Elizabeth paused apologetically. "They took her. This was lying on the flagstones; the man who found it said it was just left there with a small pebble holding it in place."

She handed him a piece of paper with a short note scrawled onto it. It read:

My life with him no longer interests me. I am flown with the only man who still holds sway over my heart. From this day forward I will be known as the wife of the noble Mr. Wickham.

Farewell,

Rose

The Doctor's face hardened. "This makes things quite easy really."

Elizabeth looked at him in concern. "Doctor-" she began, but he cut her off.

"You know why? Because they just took the one thing that I will _never_ stop fighting for. And I'm going to make sure they know it." With that, he turned on his heel and slammed his way into the TARDIS, heading straight for the flight controls.

"Doctor." He stopped, not expecting to be followed. But there Elizabeth stood at the open door, staring in at him with a determined expression. "I'm coming with you."

She stepped in without so much as a single gasp of shock or remark about the box being bigger on the inside. Walking up the incline, she laid her bonnet on the console and turned to him. With a look in her eyes that challenged him to argue with her she said, "Where to from here, Doctor?"

Despite himself, he smiled and pulled the lever. "To town, Miss Bennet."

As they flew he remarked, "Really, aren't you the slightest bit shocked? I'm very proud, but it's a little unnatural."

She took a deep, calming breath. Looking at him then, she let slip a nervous laugh. "I confess I am beyond the bounds of normal expression. I have been through so many shocks of late that one more does not faze me. Although I must admit this is a very unorthodox form of travel. However did you come by it?"

"Ohhh," he stalled, adjusting something on the console. "Long story, not really the time for it. Look, here we are!" He ran for the door, holding it open for her. "Good old London town. Miss Bennet?" He gestured for her to go ahead.

"Extraordinary," she breathed, stepping out into the light of a burning lamppost in an empty street. "It seems as though you travel faster than light itself, Doctor."

"Hmm," he made a little noise of agreement. "I guess you could say that."

A scream was heard in the distance and both their heads snapped in that direction.

"Come on!" The Doctor grabbed Elizabeth's hand and took off running.

**…**

Rose sat in the dark, rubbing Lydia's shoulder to try to comfort her, and thinking.

_They've been stealing girls from all over the place. Why are we the only ones in here? There's got to be more cells here than ours. Maybe there's more than one way out._

"Lydia? How long has it been dark like this?" Rose asked.

"Days. I don't know. It never gets any lighter."

"We must be underground then," Rose said to herself. She felt the wall. "Cement." She thought for another moment.

"Lydia, have you felt all around this room?"

"No. I've been too scared to do much of anything."

"Obviously," Rose muttered to herself. Louder she said, "Start feeling the walls. If you find anything that feels like an opening, tell me. Where's the door?"

"Pardon?"

"Where did they chuck me in here? There's got to be a door otherwise they wouldn't be able to get us in and out."

"Oh. On the other wall there."

Rose stood hesitantly, her head throbbing suddenly. She walked close to the wall, running her hands across it in search of something that might help them. All she felt was smooth stone until she came to what seemed like a metal door. "Right," she said to herself softly. "Here comes the fun part."

She reached up into her hair and pulled out a bobby pin. She'd had quite a laugh earlier when she showed it to Jane and Elizabeth and seen their puzzled looks. She just hoped it would work as well here as it did in movies.

Rose felt all along the door until she came to what she figured to be the keyhole. Inserting the bobby pin, she fiddled around in the lock until she began to worry that it wouldn't work. Finally, she heard a satisfying click. "Yes! Lydia, come here."

"What?" The other girl's voice came from across the cell.

"We're getting out of here."

**…**

Elizabeth and the Doctor ran for several blocks in the direction of the scream. They came to a street corner where a constable stood, leaning against a lamppost with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide with fear.

"Where'd they go?" The Doctor questioned him severely. The man closed his mouth and opened it several times, speech failing him. "Answer me! Where'd they go?" The constable raised an arm weakly and pointed down a dark alley.

"That way."

The Doctor took off running again, Elizabeth hot on his heels. The sound of their footsteps was loud in the deserted alley. The Doctor's coat flapped behind him as he ran, and his trainers squeaked on the wet cobblestones. He searched for anywhere the culprits might have gone, looking into nooks and crannies in between the buildings.

"Doctor!" He looked behind him. Elizabeth had stopped running. She pointed at something on the ground. Bending to pick it up, he saw it was a mud-stained pink ribbon with a small flowered pattern embroidered into it. Elizabeth breathed heavily. "Lydia had a ribbon similar to this on her bonnet."

The ribbon had lain at the mouth of where another alley branched off between two high brick buildings. About a 50 meters down there was what appeared to be a cellar door protruding from the earth. Elizabeth looked at him, waiting for his decision. He nodded, and they made their way toward the basement opening.

The two door flaps leading down into the cellar were held in place by a large but rusty padlock. The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the lock. It came unlocked with a soft click, and he looked at Elizabeth, opening his mouth to explain. Her eyebrows were raised in surprise but she held up a hand to silence him and reached for a handle of the door. The door lifted with a loud creak and the two froze in silence, listening for any sound from beneath.

"Ladies first, I believe?" Elizabeth said with a slight smile and began lowering herself into the dark cavern.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not this time, Elizabeth. You have no idea what could be down there." And with that, he hopped down into the dark hole. His head popped up again, just below the wooden door, with a slight look of disappointment. "That was rather anticlimactic wasn't it? I was expecting a bit more of a drop."

"I will not say so, Doctor." She reached her hand out for his hopped down gently. "Now for a light. I do not suppose you have one secreted away in that magic coat of yours?"

"Let me see…" He reached his hand into his coat and searched through the pockets. "Aha! Here we are."

He flipped the switch on a small flashlight and illuminated the small room they were standing in. It appeared to be a simple cellar dug out of the earth, with a dirt floor and walls. Up against one wall there were stacked crates and baskets filled with potatoes and the odd onion. The Doctor looked around and flashed his torch into all corners of the room. It yielded no remarkable findings.

"It appears we have been mistaken," Elizabeth said and turned back toward the opening in the roof.

"Hold on just a minute." The Doctor turned the light back on the stack of crates. Barely visible behind them was the uppermost corner of a metal door. "Ahh, this isn't right." He began pulling down crates and baskets until a panel of the door full of buttons and flashing lights was exposed. "This is very much not right."

He turned to Elizabeth with a grin. "I think we've just found our way in."

**…**

Rose opened the door just a crack and peeked out. She saw a long hall with a row of similar metal doors on each side. A torch burned brightly at the end of the hall and a wooden chair sat empty, the guard off taking care of some other business. The light of the torch fell on a few stone steps that disappeared behind a wall.

"Stairs," Rose whispered with a smile. She motioned to Lydia with one hand. Turning to her, she whispered, "Right, I want you to follow me closely and do exactly as I say. We're going to head for those stairs. You have to be absolutely silent, or they'll catch us. Do you understand?" Lydia nodded, the fear showing in her wide eyes.

Rose opened the door a little wider and stepped out hesitantly. She held the door for the other girl then closed it gently. They started walking slowly down the hallway, up against one wall, trying not to make a sound. They had only made it a short distance when Rose's hand brushed up against the metal of another door and she stopped. Lydia took a few more steps until she realized Rose was no longer following her.

"What's wrong? Did you hear something?" she asked, terrified.

"No. I just realized…" She paused. "There must be girls in all these other cells. We can't just leave them."

Lydia glanced around nervously. "What are you going to do?"

Rose looked carefully at the door she was standing next to. It was featureless except for a small keypad above the keyhole where the handle should be. She looked back at the door they had just come from. It was the same.

_Think, Rose, think. If there's a number pad, they must have a back up system in case a key is lost or misplaced. If we only knew the password, we could open the doors. _She turned to look around her once more. "What would it be?" she questioned herself.

"Oh, do hurry!" Lydia stood, wringing her hands nervously.

Rose turned back to the door. There were four small dashes on the screen of the keypad. _A four-number pass code. What's a number they'd use as a four-number pass code? _Suddenly, she had an idea. "If this works, they're stupider than I'd given them credit for." She crossed her fingers and pressed the numbers 1-7-9-7 into the keypad. A small light turned green and she heard the lock click. "It's the year! They're using the year as the pass code!" she whispered to Lydia triumphantly.

The door swung open and light fell into the room onto the figure of several frightened girls cowering in the corner. One opened her mouth to scream. Hastily, Rose put a finger to her lips and whispered, "Shh! I'm not here to harm you. We're going to get you out of here."

**...**

The Reverend and Mrs. Austen stood behind their daughter wearing looks of terror mingled with concern. The family physician and Cassandra knelt on either side of her as Jane sat at her desk, writing as though she was possessed.

"When did this change occur?" the doctor asked, worry evident on his features.

"Early this morning. She had been asleep in her bed, and the next moment she sat up and came across the room to this desk," Cassandra answered, eyes glancing from Jane to the doctor.

The doctor shook his head. "This is beyond me. There has never been a similar case to this one. I've written to my colleagues in London, but they appear as baffled as I." He rose and turned to face Rev. Austen. "I shall keep her in my prayers. It is all up to the Lord's choosing now."

Mrs. Austen began to cry upon her husband's shoulder as he shook hands with the doctor. Cassandra's weariness began to take its toll, and the tears started to leak from her eyes as well. She buried her face in her sister's nightgown and sobbed.

Deaf to her family's cries around her, Jane scribbled on. Her hand reached from the inkwell to her paper, pausing only to scratch out a word she had just written. Cassandra glanced up at the change in movement and saw something that made her breath catch in her throat. Amidst the lines of unending prose, Jane had scratched out two words that seemed to interrupt the flow.

There, beneath the scribble she had tried to block them out with, read the words which looked as though Jane had had to fight her hand to write:

"Help me."

* * *

_Alright, time for some more confessions. What the Doctor says after Elizabeth gives him the news comes painfully close to what he says to Detective Inspector Bishop in the Idiot's Lantern. One of my faithful (and psychic) reviewers FlyFly gets the credit for reminding me of his reaction in that episode, whereas Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss gets the credit for the actual dialogue. Wouldn't want to plagerise. :)_

_Also, I got some interesting information as to the effects of chloroform from this nifty little site called the Cascade Hospital, where someone has compiled all this useful medical information especially for fanfiction writers. So there's that. _


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